In comments on Israel’s Channel 12, the Maj. Gen. Diodato Abagnara, commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that the group has seen “no evidence” that Hezbollah is in any way rebuilding its capacity south of the Litani River.
That statement is enormously consequential, as Israel has constantly presented their attacks on southern Lebanon as retaliation for Hezbollah “rebuilding” their infrastructure, and claiming Hezbollah is violating the ceasefire through such reconstruction.
The 2024 ceasefire mandated that Israel end attacks and withdraw from Lebanon, and for Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River. The UNIFIL commander said that Israel is “blatantly violating” the ceasefire, through their constant attacks on Lebanon and through their refusal to withdraw from Lebanese soil.
UNIFIL personnel patrol southern Lebanon | Image is Public Domain
The commander also revealed that UNIFIL conducts as many as 9,000 operations along the Lebanon-Israel border per month trying to prevent a new war, but warned the situation is very fragile and even one small mistake could lead to a major escalation.
He urged Israel to start availing themselves of the liaison mechanisms within the ceasefire instead of acting unilaterally, and also warned Lebanon against taking any retaliatory steps, on the grounds that it might lead to a worsening of an already difficult situation.
The UN Security Council has been calling for full adherence to the ceasefire by all sides. Israel has plainly been violating the pact thousands of times, and Hezbollah hasn’t fired a single rocket across the border since the deal went into effect. The Israeli narrative that Hezbollah was violating the pact was based on the idea they were reconstructing their capacity in violation of the deal. If the UNIFIL says that’s simply not the case, Israel has a lot of explaining to do about their continued escalation.
